Beyblade Insights: Kai's Return
by Beybladress
Summary: What really happened after Kai's first battle with Brooklyn? -Beyblade g-revolution- A mysterious girl who supports him but has a cloudy identity, along with a yearning for solitude on Kai's part, leads to surprising results.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is my first story-I'm kinda new to fanfic;) It's set near the end of Beyblade g-rev., after Kai loses to Brooklyn and his blade is smashed. I'd really appreciate reviews...please?^_^

Beyblade Insights

Chapter One

Pain. Kai Hiwatari groaned, his head muddled and everything else sore. Still half-asleep, he tried to open his eyes. No luck.

Whenever he tried, harsh light seeped through, temporarily blinding him. Grinding his teeth, he forced his eyes apart. Through the involuntary liquid seeping out from his gaze, he thought he saw a figure of a girl.

Too fuzzy to make out her features, he squinted his eyes against what he thought was a ring of purple surrounding her, and inhaled the scent of…sugary cinnamon?

Whatever strength Kai had suddenly released him. Head falling back onto a lumpy pillow, he gave up and succumbed to his nightmares. Which was the opposite of being cheerful.

A few hours…or maybe a few days, (who knew?) later, Kai woke up. This time, when he tried to look out his eyelids, it was darker. Realizing that his body wasn't throbbing anymore, he was able to shift his head and look around.

A mellow hospital room greeted him. Looking to his right, he spied a relatively small window with its blinds open to reveal a pretty sunset. Or was it sunrise? He didn't really care either way.

Looking past the dreary white walls, Kai turned his neck a full 180 degrees and spotted a bland door to his left, along with a table right next to his hospital bed and beside it a sto—. He stopped, his eyes scanning back to the figure sitting in the stool, who he had completely overlooked. Her head was tipped down, as if asleep.

Eyes slightly widening, Kai tried to push himself into a sitting position. He grunted as a sprain in his side screamed in protest. This, of course, evidently woke up the girl sitting so close to him.

Their eyes met. Amber-amethyst to her soft brown ones with flecks of green. She looked familiar, but he couldn't place… In his muddled dreams. Of course. But other than that…she reminded him of someone. Eh. He shook the thought away. Her face was kind, and alarmingly dark purple hair would cascade down to her waist, probably, if she stood up.

"You're awake." she stated, obviously relieved.

Too tired to respond, he didn't care much. It was just a stranger; she could be ignored. Instead, he reached for his Beyblade, Dranzer, and was greeted by a fistful of air strapped around his arm.

He remembered. Sinking down again, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to wave the horrid memories away. Still, they flooded through his mind.

His last opponent, Brooklyn, and his insane laughter. His other rival, Tyson, whose older brother Hiro's voice was repeating in his head over and over again, telling him that he never had a chance to win against Brooklyn, that it was impossible, that he never would…

Sitting back up again, he pulled his knees towards him and shoved his head into his arms. Breathing. Gasping. Trying not to care. He could feel the girl's eyes boring into him. Which was annoying, certainly, but he was in no mood to confront a stranger.

He stared down at bandages, scratches, and his own battle-ripped clothes, not quite focusing on anything. Or rather, trying not to.

Unfortunately, everything seemed to be against him. The sun was slowly coming up-yes, up. Light filtered into the small room. A bird chirped. It seemed all too happy to suit Kai's depressing state. Still, he heard something click. A flash of metal that refracted the morning's light. Something that landed squarely on top of one of his knees.

He scrunched up his eyes, looking up at the distraction. She just grinned. "The name's Ana. Take a look."

Kai let his head fall back down.

"I'm not going to stop bothering you until you do, you know." she added.

He still ignored her. A few seconds passed. Then more. Minutes…up to a point where Kai lost track of time.

Finally, Ana sighed. She slid off the stool and flicked whatever was annoying him up into the air, deftly catching it again.

She grabbed his head using a fistful of hair and pulled it up until Kai was staring into those eyes again.

Neck aching, he gripped her arm and pulled it away. He didn't want to know what it was. He just wanted to be alone.

Irritatingly, Ana pulled the lumpy pillow against the headboard and pushed Kai's back onto it. He revolted by closing his eyes. She eased the stool closer and resumed her position there, although she extended her arm and held out a fist in front of Kai's face.

Kai snorted softly, trying to hold on to whatever stubbornness he still had. But his curiosity caused him to peer out from behind his eyelids, once Ana had opened her palm.

An image of a red phoenix glittered back at him.

"Dranzer…" he murmured, reaching out to get it. Ana let go, and the shard of metal fell onto Kai's waiting palm.

"At least you talked…" Ana said to herself, although loudly enough for the person in front of her to overhear.

Acknowledging the individual, Kai faced her and although still unsmiling, cocked his head slightly to one side.

Author's Note: Well, how was that?

R&R please!=)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Ana observed the weary blader in front of her. Silver hair reflected against the rising sun, but a pair of amber-amethyst eyes resembled a burnt candle with all the warmth stolen from it.

He actually looked kind of cute, with his head tilted to one side… Ew. She knew he was waiting for her to talk, and she would try to give him some answers. _Try._ There wasn't much of a chance of that, though.

She sighed, looking away from his eyes (Seriously, there was so much pain there she wanted to whack him and get some other emotion in there, even if it might be anger.) and flicked around a lock of dark purple hair that had fallen over her shoulder and wrapped around her elbow.

She looked back up again. Ouch. Still, Ana met his gaze steadily. "I found it on the ground after your battle," implying towards Kai's bit-beast. "You're lucky; it was the only part that was still in one piece."

Kai's hand closed around the metal shard. He nodded his head, or at least that was what it looked like.

_Eh, I guess that's his way of thanks. _Ana continued, "You were badly injured when they brought you here, but don't worry. BEGA," she spit the word out disgustedly, "is paying for your recovery so far. It wouldn't be very good for them if word leaked out that bladers could get injured from a match, I guess."

"And, um, I wanted to help." she finished. _Oh, that's just smooth, Ana. You couldn't get any choppier unless your blade got crushed to bits. _Appalled at herself,she shoved that thought away, her fingers gripping the weight strapped to her belt.

Kai suddenly ripped away the blanket binding him to the hospital bed and jumped out. Well, he tried to. Gripping the metal poles supporting the mattress, he clenched his side, but still managed to get to the door before Ana kicked it shut.

"I don't mean to seem like a prison guard, I really don't…but, can't you rest a TINY bit more before trying to make a run for it?" she reasoned.

In response, Kai ignored her, turning around and leaping out the window.

Ana stifled a scream, shocked. Until she remembered that the hospital room was on ground level. Sighing, she lifted one leg over the windowsill and pulled the rest of herself over.

It was sunny outside. A light spray of dew had been etched over the grass, so when Ana landed and started jogging towards the figure a few meters in front of her, her light-blue and white sneakers made cute squishing sounds and water droplets began to drench her ankle-length socks.

Ana didn't mind. The mist edging up her calves was refreshing, and she really needed a run after being cooped up for so long. Toned legs sprung from white shorts; higher, a black tank top sat over a dark drown fake-leather (she couldn't stand the thought of using something torn from an animal's skin) belt. A light blue headband echoing the colour of her sneakers separated fluffy bangs from the glossy hair running down her back.

She was getting closer to Kai now, who was laboriously gripping his side again. Ana was pretty sure she'd gauged the distance right. There was only one thing to do now.

Reaching into the flap of the holder she had attached to her belt, she seized her Beyblade. What might have been an emblem of a snowy white bird adorned the top of the blade, and although it was incredibly hard to see beneath years of scars and scratches, the bit-chip was one of the last things Ana's mother had given to her, so she would never replace it. Never.

Below that was the attack ring, weight disk, and blade base. The black attack ring was one of the few pieces that wasn't purple or white.

Hurrying, she snapped the blade into place, slid the plastic zipper-like piece on, focused, and spun.

A whirl of violet sliced past Kai's shoulder, slammed into the oak tree in front of him, and rebounded back, circling him in a torrent of dust. Ana held up her hand just as it pivoted back in its owner's direction, catching it with a gloved (Fingerless and purple-sparked at the knuckles) hand.

The Annoying One finally stopped and turned around. Ana grinned at the surprise on his face.

"What do you _want_?" he gritted from under his breath.

"I told you already. And if you're leaving, I'm coming with." Ana slid her Beyblade back into its resting place.

Kai just turned around again, walking away. Ana shook her head lightly and took a few final lengthy strides before falling in place beside him.

She didn't think that he would mean so much to her in the end.

Author's Note: I got my first review yesterday! (I know, such a newbie, but it did push me to finish this chapter) Any suggestions for what happens later? Thanks a bunch! (Yup, sighs of craziness are showing-talking to...what?;D)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

_Step…step…_ Rebounding echoes were created against the sidewalk. The Stubborn One was still beside him. Kai exhaled, wondering why she was _still_ there.

"Hey…is there anywhere specific you're going?" Ana asked.

Kai shrugged. She continued, "You DO know that you need a new Beyblade, right?"

He winched, looking away. What was left of Dranzer was still clenched in his palm. Half-heartedly, Kai tuned back into what the Stubborn One was saying.

"…and look! There's a store over there!" she pointed to a blue-and-white brick building across the street. A few kids were exciting it, all smiles and new blades in their hands.

"C'mon!" she shouted, tugging on his wrist. Kai emitted a sign. _Does she seriously not know you need a BEGA id to get anything Beyblade related?_ His own blade had been confiscated after he'd failed to make the cut for BEGA's Justice Five team. He waved the horrid memory away, concentrating instead on Ana's arm as she pulled him across the road. For some odd reason, he didn't feel like swatting the girl's hand away. Weird.

They'd reached the gray-painted door and the Stubborn One pushed it open with her free hand. Satisfied that Kai wasn't going to run off after they'd entered the packed shop, she released his grip on him. _Aw, _Kai caught himself thinking, before mentally smacking himself.

They lightly nudged some other people out of their way to the cashier, excusing themselves. Well, Ana did. Kai just shoved his way through.

"Hey!" "Watch it!" etc. filled the store, until someone whispered, "Wait, isn't that _Kai?_"

Hushed voices were everywhere, suddenly.

"You mean the guy who lost to Brooklyn?"

"No! Wait, it _is_ him!"

"You know, I heard his blade got smashed to bits and…"

"What's _he_ doing here?"

"SSHH!"

Kai felt himself stiffening and groaning inside. _I suppose it wouldn't be too hard to tear them apart…_

A bunch of girls in the back corner were worse. He caught a few snippets…

"Ooh! Look!"

"Who's th-…what?"

"…lost…didn't he…against Bro-"

"Aw…cuter when…-orld cham…"

"Ohmudgud! Who's…that girl…"

"Sshh! Where?"

"No! Seriou-"

"Duh…sad…she should…dumpe-"

Kai glared at them. Which, of course, provoked fits of giggles.

Ana turned around, "Flirting already?" she smirked. Kai muttered something unidentifiable and slapped his palm over his eyes.

Fortunately, they'd reached the cashier. "Hi, um, we just need a…" Ana's eyes scanned the shelves behind the pudgy man.

"How about that engine-gear blade, top shelf, second right?" she asked.

"Reservation? And I'd need to check your BEGA ID." the clerk boomed back.

Ana faltered, looking over at Kai. "Confiscated," he mouthed.

The Stubborn One bit her bottom lip. "Sorry, we didn't reserve one beforehand, and is it really necessary to have a BEGA," she spat the word out, "ID?"

"No reservation-no first picks. No ID-no Beyblade." the man intoned. People were starting to line up behind them, muttering.

Kai began to turn and walk away, when… "Ugh. _Fine_!" Ana reached into one of the flaps on her belt, procured a white plastic rectangle, and held it out for the clerk.

Both he and Kai were shocked. Of course, the latter one did a better job at hiding it. The cashier squinted at the card suspiciously, before snapping back and stammering. "Why…why of _course_ you can have one, Miss-"

"Justletusseesome," she said in a rush, shoving the ID card back before Kai could get a good look at it.

The stocky man rushed to the back room and returned with five blades in tow. "Ma'am, these," he huffed. "These…are the only ones…not…reserved."

Kai leaned back on one of the store's wooden support beams and watched while the Stubborn One scrutinized the Beyblades, muttering under her breath. Kai just gazed at the pretty girl, entranced, until he shook himself back to reality.

"Well…I guess we'll have to take this one," she signed, talking to the clerk but pleading with her eyes at Kai. He winched. It was neon orange and slime green. Not very appealing.

_Oh no…there's NO WAY I'm going to…_

Author's Note: Yes! Another review! ThankuThankuThankuThanku! Ok...can anyone guess who Ana is yet?XD Don't worry, you'll find out in the chapters to come...(there's no way I'm gonna spill, ok?)_  
_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Too bad," Ana said bluntly. The Annoying One was starting the get on her nerves again. _So what if he's cu-…ew. Erm._ _That's no reason why he has to be so rude._ She'd had to use her stupid BEGA (ugh) ID card, for Beyblade's sake!

Kai was shaking his head again, while leaning on one of the trees in the park they were in. Ana tried again, "Kai! Look, I _know_ it's not high-quality and it looks bad-but it was the best one there! Don't you at least want to practice?"

The Annoying (and soon to be pulverized) One snorted. The tree's leaves had cast a shadow over part of his face, but Ana could still see the glint in his eyes.

Weary, she plopped down cross-legged on the grass in front of him. _Inhale, exhale; inhale, exhale…_ "I can't make you do anything you don't want to," she said, more calmly this time, "But at least practicing with a Beyblade is sure to lift that sore loser spirit from you," Was that a twitch in his chiseled jaw? "And when a better blade comes across, you can switch as fast as you want. But do you _have_ another blade right now?"

She held out the puke-coloured Beyblade out at arms' length and dropped it at the Kai's feet. She looked up and their eyes met…the Annoying One's gaze was surprisingly disturbing, so Ana was the one to look away first. "I'll…um, go get my stuff. You can leave for good," she jumped to her feet. "But I'll meet you here later if you want to practice."

She shoved her hands into the pockets of her shorts and turned around, jogging in the direction of the hotel her stupid father pushed her in with a nanny (ugh). Ana doubted he'd notice if she disappeared for a month or two though…she grinned. Touching up on her Beyblading skills had been something she'd wanted to do for a long time.

Hopefully Kai wouldn't run off and vanish.

Tearing his gaze away from the Ana's receding form, he looked down. A few moments passed, slowly trickling into minutes.

Finally, he gave a big sigh and picked the colour-damaged blade off the ground with a swipe of his hand. Snapping the bit-chip in was harder, but it was still done.

"Dranzer," he said softly. "Ana's right. We do need to practice. After that we'll crush Brooklyn and then do the same to Tyson!"

* * *

"Ugh, stupid Tyson!" Hillary Tachibana muttered, running through the streets. "Can't…be bothered…to…get his own food,…lil' twerp…" she panted, before stopping to tie her shoelace.

"Too busy _practicing_, so he goes-" Hillary finished the last butterfly knot before taking off again. "_Get us some pizza, Hillary, it's not like you have anything else to doo…"_ she switched the five hefty boxes to her other shoulder, still indignant.

"WHY THE NERVE!" she suddenly shouted, turning heads. "Oops…" The girl reddened. Even so, she continued ranting in her head. "Stupid, stupid, stupid…"

Maybe she was too preoccupied; probably, the pizza boxes had unbalanced her; possibly, her shoelace still wasn't tied tightly enough; or maybe she'd just recognized the girl in front of her. Either way, she tripped.

_

* * *

A few minutes ago~_

"Mhh, tuna or original?" Ana asked herself. She was inside Cat's Haven, the only pet store she'd found that _didn't _have BEGA promotional posters taped up everywhere.

"Eh, I'll just take both!" she walked over to the self-checkout line and waited while the machine went _plink-plink_.

She couldn't wait to visit the poor cats…but she'd save all her gushing for later. She tried -and failed- to stuff the two bags into the already bulging white-and-magenta backpack she'd slung behind her, and hurried out of the store.

Suddenly, a flying shape rammed into the girl, knocking both parties to the ground. "Ow…"Ana groaned, looking at her shocked attacker. Why was she so familiar…?

The brunette rubbed the back of her head, "Sorry 'bout tha-ANA? Ana! It IS you!" The girl enveloped her into a strangling hug. "How…when did you…"

Ana choked back the hug's smothering properties. "Hillary?" she asked meekly. Her old friend and classmate let go, eyes blazing.

"Where have you been? It's two…three…" "Three," Ana finished.

"Three YEARS. No calls, visits, only those weird letters…were they even from you, or _him_?" Hillary meant her friend's father.

"Both, I mean, I'd write you something and then it'd be censored…so in the end I just gave up." Ana said bitterly, helping to stack up the squished pizza boxes.

Hillary sighed, "As long as you're here now, it's fin-WAIT! You snuck away?" a grin spread over her face.

Ana nodded, "It took awhile, but _he_'s been so caught up in his newest 'project'…"

"No! You mean…" Hillary pointed to the BEGA emblem stamped onto the pizza box on the top of the stack. "Oh."

"Mhhm," was Ana's reply. They brushed themselves off and she managed to grab onto the shaky pile before they dropped from her friend's grip.

"You should stay with me then! My parents won't mind. C'mon! I wanna let you meet some of my new friends," Hillary began, before the other girl shook her head.

"Not right now, Hill, I promised to help this blader practice in a bit."

"Ha! Still trying to help everyone in the world? I remember when we were little and you'd always be feeding those stray…"

Ana held up the bags of cat food, causing fits of laughter.

"Aws, so who's this lucky guuyyy?"

"I told you! I'm not-"

"-into that stuff. I know, yada yada yada,...but who is he?"

"Oh, remember that competition BEGA had to determine its team? One of the competitors, Kai Hiwarti, got really hurt and I gave him his bit-chip back and promised to help…wha? Hill, why are you looking at me like that…?"

They linked arms, and started walking. "Ana, you have no idea…"

Author's Note: Yes! Ch.4 done and posted!D (trying to write these as fast as I can, but I'm not even done half of it yet.-sighs-) PLEASE KEEP THE REVIEWS COMING!(I'm really starting to heart all of you guys~)

PS: Oh dear...I think I gave away Ana's identity _already_. Well, was it what you expected? And I was going to save it for ch.6...bleh.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Hey, guys!" Hillary shouted, slamming open the door to (Tyson's grandfather's) dojo with her leg.

A torrent of noise and activity greeted her, as the many Beybladers opposing the organization of BEGA were in the midst of practice. Well, most of them. The others, including her friend Kenny and his bit-beast absorbed computer, Dizzy, were in the process of designing a new type of Beyblade.

The new blades were for the players who were going to duel head to head with BEGA's own Justice Five team, and they included: Ray Koi, Max Tate, Daichi, and Tyson Granger, who had finally noticed Hillary in the doorway.

Dropping whatever he'd been doing before, the blader rushed up to the girl, arms outstretched, his whole body yearning in anticipation… "PIZZA!"

Hillary was suddenly bombarded by the contents of several teams, including the twins of F-Dynasty, the All-Stars, the White Tigers, etcetera, to whom she gave the heavy loads to in relief.

She scanned past the wooden supports in the practicing area, and rushed towards the first two people who would be greatly interested in what she had to say.

"Max! Ray!" Hillary waved at them furiously, taking their attention away from the gooey goodness in their mouths. "-"

"Wha?" interrupted Tyson, who'd flopped himself beside his friends, simultaneously trying to stuff two slices of pizza into his mouth.

"_Tyson_!" The infuriated girl screeched. Ray and Max took this opportunity to start chatting to some of the others.

"UGH!" Hillary yelled. "I KNOW WHERE KAI IS!" Finally, the heads of her audience turned back to her. The hunkering lump on her right grumbled something, but she couldn't make it out.

"Ew, Tyson, swallow."

He did. "What?"

"Well, that's what I was saying before you interr-"

"_Oh_, so now I'm the one who's interrupting?"

"Yes, duh!"

"No I wasn't!"

"Yeah you were."

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Being a pain in the neck."

"Why you...!"

"Um...would you guys stop arguing and tell me what's this I'm hearing about Kai?" Their friend Kenny (aka the Chief) sat down and wedged himself between the murderous pair.

"As I was _saying_," Hillary shot Tyson with another glare, "My friend Ana and I went to the same school almost from the first grade,"

Guess who yawned? "Tyson, let her finish," said Ray.

"But then her mother passed away a few years ago and the father she never met took her away to some private school or something, so I almost forgot about her until now," Hillary continued.

"But wait, what does this have to do with Kai?" asked Max, who'd been pretty quiet until that moment.

Hillary leaned towards them and started whispering. "Well, she's actually..."

* * *

Kai scratched the orange tabby cat between the ears, depressed again. The creature nuzzled his left knee; the other one was raised to support the weight of his elbow.

He looked down at the cat glumly. The humid mid-afternoon sun had sent the blader seeking shelter in the city's alleys. The cat started to paw at his rugged pants leg.

_Whatever. They're ripped anyways._ Sighing, Kai lifted the playful kitten up and stroked it, lost in thought. Strangely, they kept on coming back to the Stubborn One.

He was still a bit wary of Ana…she wanted to _help_ him. Please. Kai didn't need, or even particularly want the company. At least, that was what he told himself.

He was still contemplating on whether to go back to the large park or not, when a laugh cut through his musings. The kitten in his hands perked up its ears and started squirming in his grasp. Kai let go, but followed it; curious.

It dashed ahead, pulling the dual sliver and dark blue haired boy through many a twist and turn, until they came across a dead end lodged between two stores.

Mews echoed along the alley walls, as Kai slided along the edges of them, only pausing when he realized who else was there.

* * *

"Here, kitty, kitty!" a joyful Ana called, sprinkling more dried pellets in front of the hungry felines. "Did ya miss me? Wow…it's been so long since I saw you guys," she bent down on a knee, squinting.

Was it just her imagination, or was her shadow growing longer? Ana snapped her head back, and let out a small shriek, before realizing it was the Annoying One. Kai flashed what could have been a grin down at her.

Ana exhaled. "Did you have to creep up on me like that? …Aww, I never knew you liked cats." Sure enough, the Annoying One had uncrossed his arms and knelt down to pet a tom with a torn ear. "Actually, I was starting to doubt that you liked _anything_," she laughed.

He breathed out through his mouth and closed his eyes, seemingly annoyed. "Well, except for Beyblading, of course." Ana finished, whilst dumping more tuna-flavored cat food for the starving kitties.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me-do you want to start practicing after this? Well, looking at these guys eat, I'm getting pretty hungry myself, c'mon, we'll leave some more food here for them and then go get some hotdogs!" she looked over to the Annoying One.

He didn't react.

"You know what? I have the urge to…" Ana stuck her tongue out, before leaping to her feet and making a break for it.

The Annoying One slowly got to his feet, shaking his head, before trailing after the girl. "Oh, by the way," Ana said, "guess who I ran into on the way here?"

Author's Note: Half of the fic. done! This is a cause for celebration! -punches fist into the air- Ok, since the chapters are relatively short, I'm going to try to finish them in the next few days. Sound good? Thanks for all the reviews too, by the way! They're so ego-boosting I just want to hug you all! -hugs-


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long! I'm almost done ch.7 too, so expect to read that soon! (Also, I've been re-watching Beyblade to get more of the details, and it's just... Well, I'd like to dedicate this fanfic. as a tribute to it, that's all. Which I should have done in ch.1, but better late than never.)

Chapter Six

_The next day~_

"Whew!" Ana plopped down on the grass, exhausted. She was lying with her hands behind her head, atop a small tree-covered hill overlooking a vibrant playground.

The girl was pretty content-a great morning of practice had been completed! So what if she never won? It was good practice all the same. Also, the park was large enough that it would take her father a _long_ time to find her…if he even cared at all, which she doubted.

Ana gazed up at the fluffy clouds overhead-it was a beautiful day, when suddenly, she realized something, or someone, was missing. Where was…?

She scanned the trees around her. "Kai?" she asked. The Annoying One didn't answer, but Ana had already spotted a shadow lodged between two branches a few meters above her head. "Oh, there you are."

Kai was staring out at the jumble of kids below them, who were engaged in a match, of course. Suddenly, he opened his mouth, "What's your connection with BEGA?"

Ana was startled. "What?"

"You seem to hate them, and yet you have an ID card, for starters," Kai began.

"Wow, um, that's the most I've ever heard you say in ages… Oh, hey! There's Hillary!" Ana sat up and waved at the short-haired brunette running up to them.

Kai seemed unfazed, both by Ana's reluctance to answer, and his former teammate coming closer. He slinked back into the sanctuary of the leafy trees.

"Hey," Hillary huffed. She high-fived Ana's outstretched palm, while placing a hand on her hip to pant better. "Where's Kai?"

Ana pointed to some empty trees. "He's over- Shoot." Both girls lifted their chins, searching the trees around them.

"When I told him you were coming last night he seemed okay with it though…" Ana muttered, before getting interrupted.

"By the way, where'd you sleep last night?" her friend asked, worried.

In reply, Ana waved an arm in an arch in front of her. "The benches in the park there, but then I got such a sore back I switched to the slides," she laughed.

Hillary's anime eyes widened. "Are you sure-"

"It's fine, really." Ana said, "It was a lot like camping, plus I can stuff a _lot_ more practice time everyday."

Hillary didn't look much convinced. "You can always stay with me though, you know."

Ana countered. "Yeah, but aren't you guys going away to practice tomorrow? Remember? And this way we won't be bothering anyone."

"Well…"

"C'mon!" The purple-haired girl dragged her friend down the hill. "Weren't you going to show your friends to me?"

Hillary decided to talk Ana out of her stupid idea later. "Bye, Kai!" she called over her shoulder, into the silent trees, all the while smirking.

Neither girl saw a figure leap down from an unseen branch, looking at them running to the outskirts of the park, before turning away.

_Later~_

"Where _are_ we going, Hil?" asked Ana. They were walking to what looked like…a hospital?

"Tyson and the others are visiting one of their old friends, Tala, who got injured battling Boris' guys." she answered.

Ana winced. Another person hurt because of him? "Sorry…"

"It wasn't your fault!" Hillary turned on her heel, aghast. The two girls had entered through a set of glass turning doors, and into a world of white-washed walls, bland furniture, and the smell of disinfectant everywhere.

"Hey, this is the same hospital Kai went too," noted Ana when she followed the brunette into one of the two elevators gracing the building. She leaned over to the column of buttons. "Which floor?"

"Six." Hillary watched her friend press the button, and then sighed as the elevator gave a smooth purr and sailed up.

Tyson Granger looked up from Tala's side as two girls barged in. The chief, Ray, Max, and Daichi, who were in the hospital room as well, recognized only one of them.

"Hey guys!" Hillary called, before looking over at the recovering red-head and hastily lowered her voice. "Meet Ana. Ana, this" she pointed her head in the direction of a short brown-haired boy with round glasses. "is Kenny." Waving her hand at another young boy, this time with firey red hair, "and Daichi." She moved on to a cheerful guy with bright blond locks and a golden-eyed one with long black hair pulled into a long rope behind him, "and Max and Ray."

"What about me?" whined Tyson.

"Eh. And that's Tyson. The _world champion _Beyblader," Hillary air-quoted, chuckling at his put-out expression.

Ana waved at them hesitantly, and an awkward moment followed...

But regardless, they were all awfully nice.

More interestingly, when she was walking towards Kai back at the park, Ana had a grin on her face and a sleek, small hard-metal blade clutched behind her back.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: This chapter is about Kai and Ana's antics throughout the month or so the other bladers are practicing in the valley. I'm not overwriting what actually happened, this is just another version of it. (An extremely poor one, but I liked the idea, and this story is based on INSIGHTS, right?) Also, in the anime, it apparently takes Max/Tyson/Ray/Daichi weeks to get used to their hard-metal blades, and only a day or two for Kai, which was kind of confusing, so I'm giving him equal time now. This a/n is taking much too long, so I'll leave you alone to read now!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade. (Of course not?)

Chapter Seven

Day 1: (Kai) "Dranzer, go!" I snarled, but once again, it didn't listen, just swirling around the disk, before Ana's Whitewing went in for the kill…

Day 2: (Ana) What was wrong with Kai? He still didn't seem to have gotten the hang of his new Beyblade. "Concentrate!" I screamed at him. Which didn't seem to do much good, as his blade got kicked it again. I snatched up my own, grinning inside. I was making progress, but the Annoying One seemed to be slipping. Which was kind of bad.

Day 5: (Kai) It was time to give up. We'd been going at it for days. Ugh. I clutched Dranzer to my side and stalked away from the Bey-dish in the playground, and off into the trees.

I could hear the crunching of leaves behind me. How annoying. And then Ana had to drone on and on… "You can't just quit, Kai. It's only been a few days." Yeah. Whatever.

"Kai!" It sounded like she was scolding a 5-year-old. And she thought that would make me want to listen? Pft.

She continued, "I don't think you're even trying. What happened to the past world champ?" In the past.

I sighed and faced away from her, but Ana kept at it. "You're scared." As if.

"Scared you'll put your heart and soul into it and still lose." I contemplated walking away. It was a good a time as any.

If only she'd just leave me alone! "You have to take a chance! Listen!"

At that point I just had enough. "SHUT UP. FOR THE LOVE OF BEYBLADE, JUST SHUT UP."

There. She stopped. I got worked up, "I'm just another pawn to you. You want to get back at your father-yes, don't look at me like that, I guessed. It wasn't hard. And so you want to tear BEGA down." She looked shocked. Ha.

"You saw an opening in me when I lost and got kicked off their team, and you just want to train me so someone could do it for you. Am I right?" Ana shook her head, finally at a lost for words. I felt a little bad, but at least she'd probably go away now.

"No…that's…not it." she managed to say.

"Whatever."

And then she found her voice again. "Ugh, this is more important than that! If they crushed you and you still got back up again, that would inspire kids everywhere. Kids with a love for Beyblading, but are getting held back. Don't you want to help them?"

Ouch. But I forced my head to shake, turning back to her. "You think you're helping. But you aren't." Ana started to open her mouth, but I cut in.

"Those stray cats you feed? You _think_ you're saving them, but in the end they're still strays. In the end you're just prolonging their lives so they can suffer more."

She blinked rapidly. Did I feel bad? Yes. But it's not like I paid much attention to my feelings in the first place. "_Just leave me alone._"

(Ana) "Just leave me alone." That hurt. A lot. Ah well. Well, there was only one thing to do.

"Not until you beat me." I let it rip.

_~swinging it out at the speed of sound, gotta rip it up, gonna let it out…~_

Dranzer met the attack surprisingly fast, zipping from Kai's fingers and slamming into my Whitewing with a screech of metal. That was great-it seemed as though the Annoying One was getting the hang of his new blade. The blades stayed put in mid-air for a few seconds, before both rebounding to the ground, sending grass and dirt sprawling everywhere.

I felt my bound to my blade tugging at me, familiar and automatically sending energy coursing through my body. "You might be right," I told the Annoying One.

"About the cats, about Boris, even." Letting it out was a relief. I breathed out through my mouth as new-found strength found me. The white flurry on the ground must have felt the same way, as it pushed back even harder.

(Kai) For some reason, Ana suddenly started laughing. _Just great._ I thought, _You had to drive her to insanity, didn't you, Kai?_ She stabbed at my blade.

"But I never thought of you as a pawn," Ana said.

Dranzer was cornered. I had to tune her out. It was hard to, though. "Even now, I'm sure you can still get back up and win again." Dranzer took another bashing.

The green flecks in her brown eyes started sparkling again. "Just let me win this round."

I clenched my jaw as my blade lost its spin.

(Ana) I was breathing hard while I reached down to pluck Whitewing from the ground. There was silence. I walked over to where the Annoying One was on one knee, staring at his blade.

"You know, the state you were in, you couldn't really win..."

"I know." Kai lifted his head to look at me. "But if I don't practice, I can't win, right?" He sounded tired. I was too.

"Sorry."

"Same," he echoed.

We bumped fists. There was just one more thing…

"You look kind of cute when you're mad."

Author's Note: Was this any good? It's a different approach, I know. Well, this is only up to their fifth day of actual training, and the rest will be in the next chapter, which will be up soon, hopefully. Reviews for this chapter will be greatly appreciated, but if you don't feel like it, no worries! Thanks to all you readers out there, too!


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: EVERYONE I'M SO SORRY! It's been...-too scared to look- around a month since I last posted. There was a Seattle trip and sleepovers and...I'm just really really sorry. This chapter was actually partly finished but then I left it until a few days ago, when it started haunting me again...so if some of it seems weird, I'm sorry about that too. Wow, since I'm apologizing so much already, I might as well apologize for making this A/N so long and keeping you from reading. (Yes, I am sorry about that too.)

Chapter Eight

Day 8: (Kai) No talking that day. Just practice.

Day 9: (Ana) It was awfully quiet…but I was getting used to it, for some weird reason. There wasn't really any reason to talk to Kai, and vice versa.

Day 10: (Kai) Getting better… I used Dranzer to smash into an oak tree that day. That was when I realized how strong we were getting. Not to mention fast.

Day 14: (Ana) Hand and facial movements that day. That was it. I'm slowly turning into the Annoying One. Good or bad?

Day 15: (Kai) Swerve. Spin. Ram. Dodge, lever, jump. Slide…screech. Turn, and smack. Hit. It's knocked out. Finally.

Ana's face was contorted between the disappointment of losing and...pride on my part? Watching her flicker between emotions was amusing.

* * *

Day 16: (Ana) When I woke up, it was raining. I remember blinking to clear my head-it was the middle of the night, and wondering what was making so much noise. It was the first shower of rain that summer, splattering against the yellow plastic slide I was in.

_Pitter, patter… Drip, drop…_

I stuck part of my head out, feeling droplets of water splashing onto my hair and gazing around. I sighed, turning and unzipping the backpack I doubled as my pillow. It wouldn't be my first choice, but I slept well over it.

_It has to be here somewhere…ah-ha!_ I lifted out a glinting golden shard of metal. The original note was still attached to the key. It read:

**Ana,**

**My parents are travelling aboard for a few months again, and since I'm not going to use to house right now anyway, keep this key for me, kay? You better use it.**

**~Hilary**

I grinned. A shower was much needed, and a real bed would be great. All I had to do was find Kai first.

(Kai) -blank-

(Ana) I did find the Annoying One, eventually, furiously slicing Dranzer across innocent trees, creating deep gashes along their trunks.

"Ugh, don't you need to sleep?" I asked, stretching my arms out, and got ignored. Typical. Edging closer, I realized that his Beyblade was forming a pattern along the trees. Three gashes in a row, then a space, and three more, on every trunk. Dranzer was actually starting the third column when I got there.

_Wow…great accuracy,_ I thought. The splattering rain didn't even seem to have any effect on either of them.

I sighed, planting myself down cross-legged a few feet away to watch. Showering could wait, as could sleeping. I yawned behind one hand. _The things I do for people…_

(Kai) Was that…whatever.

(Ana) Well, it wasn't like I didn't mind watching…the way the rain plastered the Annoying One's sliver hair down and the moonlight shining on the swift way his hands spun Dranzer into the air was picture-perfect, in a sense. I shifted position, getting a better view of the whole scene.

Ugh, the rainwater had slicked my own violet bangs down, though. I brushed them aside, reaching for Whitewing with my other hand.

I was itching to copy the power surging from Kai's firm pose, learn and mimic the intense concentration his gaze was sending; but I let my hand slide down and away from the pouch attached to my belt. It was…his own practice turf, and I couldn't take that away from him.

Also, if I intruded, it'd probably be off with my head. So I leaned back against the tree behind me-not one of the ones Dranzer was cutting up, of course. That was when I felt sleep wash over me again…

(Kai) Dranzer came slashing back in my hand, its attack ring scratching the inside of my right palm. I was marveling at the sudden force I'd found behind the metal surface when I noticed the sleeping girl a few feet away.

I scrunched eyes together. _How long was she here?_

I walked slowly, then sat and nudged the Stubborn One awake with my elbow.

"Ow! Oh, hey." She grinned, and handed me a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. I unwrapped the wet note before reading.

(Ana) A flicker of confusion crossed Kai's face while he read the note. Or was it annoyance? Possibly both. I let my eyes close again.

"And you didn't mention this before because..." He had to ruin my nap, didn't he?

"Mhh-hm. We didn't…need it before." I pinched my arm to stay awake.

The Annoying One shifted, taking up part of the tree too. The tree I was _trying_ to rest on. I just stared out at the cloud-covered moon for a few minutes before the Annoying One broke the silence. "You never told me.. why do you hate Boris so much?"

I caught my breath. "It's…nothing much." I stammered. The look on my face must have said otherwise, though, because he didn't seem to believe me.

"Well, he's a terrible person, so I have no idea what mom saw in him. But soon after I was born, she took me away and I had a pretty normal life-school, friends, that's when I met Hilary, too."

I looked down, "but then…mom…she-"

_It's…just the rain. Just the rain. You told yourself you wouldn't cry anymore, right Ana? Right?_

I cleared my throat and looked up. Kai was staring at me with what could have been a wow-you're-weird look. Or it might have been a worried one. But the chances of him being worried about someone else? Please. It was a good distraction from bad memories, though.

"After…the _accident_, he came back and took me in for some reason, and I actually thought he cared for a while." I stifled a laugh.

"But then he just shipped me off to the far side of the manor with a bunch of tutors, and I got separated from my old teachers and friends, everyone who had _cared _about me…and almost wouldn't let me visit mom's..grave." _Inhale, Ana, good. Now exhale. _I had to grip Kai's wrist to steady myself.

"So then he had me watch the Justice 5 matches to get _experience_, so I could turn into one of his blading minions, and kept on laughing throughout it, especially when you were defeated," A wince. "and I really couldn't take it anymore. Even more than usual. I went to check if you were ok...and you know the rest."

I breathed out, not bothering to search Kai's face for anything. "You aren't going to run away in disgust or anything, are you?"

He shook his head, what could have been a half-smile on his features. I sneezed. We'd almost forgotten about the drizzling downpour, and I realized that the night had gotten colder, too.

"Can we go?" I lifted myself up and pulled the Annoying One halfway up too with the hand that was still attached to his arm. I reached the other hand down to the him, but he smirked and brushed it aside, getting the rest of the way up by himself.

We headed toward the park's exit, hands still fastened, but I pretended not to notice.

* * *

Day 21: (Ana) "You ready?" I asked. Kai shrugged, causing me to sigh again. He knew what I was talking about, but didn't care to answer. I carried on, "They'll be back in a few days." He nodded. We were both slightly stressed after another round of practice, but the setting sun calmed my nerves. I nodded back, making a motion to grab his hand before stopping myself. There was a question in his gaze…but I shrugged it off and wrapped my arm around his instead.

Author's Note: Again, even if you're sick of it, I'm still sorry. Ugh, I can't promise anything, but I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, ok? And I finally added some romance into this story! (I might save their first kiss for the veerryyy last part, though. Which would make me a terrible romance-writer, but ah well. Deal with it. That sounded pretty mean...sor- Not going to apologize again for -babbling gets cut off-)


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: This chapter might seem weird, I'm not sure, because we all know what happens. (If not, go watch the final episodes of it, or it'll get spoiled for you.) So just to let you know, things will get sped up quite a bit. By the way, this chapter is slightly longer, because -cough- Boris gets beaten up a little bit in it. -cough-

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, its characters, or the bits of the plot I've merged into this chapter.

Chapter Nine

"AND THAT'S IT, FOLKS!" the young Beyblade announcer yelled into the microphone. He adjusted his blue bandana on the huge screen broadcasting the Justice 5 match across the city square, as screams from the background blasted over the hundreds of cheering fans on the other side of the city.

Unfortunately for the Bladebreakers, most were in favor of their opponents. "A TIE BETWEEN MAX AND MYSTEL MEANS THERE'S STILL A CHANCE FOR THE BLADEBREAKERS TO WIN!" Not as many cheers.

At least no one seemed to notice two stiff figures in the midst of the dissipating crowd. Kai Hiwatari was silent as always, but Ana Balkov had her hands clasped over her ears, mumbling about the volume of speakers being cranked up at the last few seconds.

"This is bad, Kai," she'd said once everything had died down and an advertisement with two gyrating blades appeared on the screen. It was pretty bad, seeing as the victors of the competition were clearly becoming apparent.

"Ming Ming won against Daichi, Ray lost to Crusher, and they still don't have a fifth player…" she started, before the Annoying One shot her a glare. Even though the first part was over, tensions were still high.

"Haven't you thought about it, though?" Silence. "Why else would they give you a new blade?" There wasn't an answer for that, so the Annoying One turned and started walking back to the park, where they'd been practicing after Hilary had returned and taken her house back. She'd asked them to stay, of course, but Kai had turned up missing again, so Ana thought it best not to.

Exasperated, she fell into step beside him and sighed. "You'd have to go face to face with them again at some point, I'm pretty sure you want to, you NEED to, for…"

Kai stopped in the middle of the swarming crowd and shook his head slowly. "If I say yes, will you shut up?"

Ana titled her face up an inch to look the Annoying One in the eye. "I just knew we'd come to an understanding," she grinned.

* * *

Later that day~

The sun was setting, light shadows darkening on the grass, the small stone bridge, the slippery water beneath it…and the tired faces on the slight hill.

"Are you sure he's coming?" asked Ray. Everyone else was lounging or sprawled out across the grass, and expectant heads turned in Ana's direction. She'd caught up to them, breathless, after the distressing matches that day. Sadly, she'd also turned up Kai-less.

"Yup," she answered. Still, she wasn't half as confidant as she sounded. _What if he…_

"Hey! Look!" Daichi shrilled, the red-headed boy shoving his finger in the direction of the sunset.

A dark figure was silhouetted against the rays of light, walking up towards them, hands in his pockets. Tyson leapt up and strode towards his past friend and traitor.

"You're late."

Kai nodded, but raised his fist nonetheless. It seemed as if a glow was surrounding the two bladers, pulsing and blazing gently, as they bumped knuckles.

* * *

The next day~

Crowds cheering; the smell of concession and hot dog food everywhere; anticipation…Ana breathed it all in. She gripped the bench she was sitting on when the Annoying One coolly strode to the stadium.

Ana knew what Brooklyn had done to Kai the last time they fought, but she also had faith in him after all that practice. She turned to her left on the crowded front-row bench and nudged her friend Hilary. "He'll be ok, right?"

Her brown-headed friend stared back at her strangely. "You should know that better than I do. Who was with him the most, huh?" A grin spread on Hilary's face. Ana hitched the blue baseball cap she'd chosen specifically for that day lower over her head. Her father would be too busy watching the match to notice her, but you never knew. She blew out through her mouth, waving Hilary's blathering away.

"Mhhm…sshhh…" The match was starting.

* * *

After~

Slumped down. Defeated, even though he'd won. I waited behind the individual, clutching at the corner of the wall as the Annoying One dramatized his slinking to the ground, and Dranzer…shattered on the cool gray floor. There was nothing but deep breathing for the next few minutes. Then, even Kai's body toppled over, unconscious. I rushed forward and hefted him up, collecting the broken shards of metal at the same time. Gosh, was he heavy. I threw one battered arm over my shoulder and supported the rest of him until we reached the first-aid room in the stadium.

* * *

During Tyson's match~

Something weird was going on. Definitely. Ana stared, wide-eyed, as something from within Brooklyn snapped. Someone beside her gasped, among the hundreds of others there in the crowd, witnessing the final match. The tie-breaker. The match that would determine the rest of Beyblade future. Was that going too far? Ah well. And it had just gotten more fascinating. Brooklyn's eyes glowed. There was a grin on his face that made Ana shiver.

She looked across the other side of the crowd to one of the raised viewing platforms, where she could see the vague outline of the man she'd come to have extreme dislike for. Oh, they had the same blood flowing through them, but Ana also had her mother's. She liked to think that that overpowered all the bad aspects of herself, who she blamed on her father. He seemed awfully happy, though, at what was happening down below. Loud crackling noises filled the air. Everyone was tense. Ana itched to have the smile wiped off Boris' snide face, but that would have to wait.

When she was retelling events to a police officer afterwards, he didn't believe her. Oh, of course, like the stadium got sucked into another dimension inside Brooklyn's head, and that she'd actually spied the Annoying One standing on a pillar, half his face bandaged up, when he was supposed to be regaining his strength.

The silly officer wasn't even a fan, for Beyblade's sake, so he had no idea of the inner power each one held. A _I'm surveying a crazy person_ look was plastered on his face, and he'd hastily moved on to the next person when Ana had started to describe the way the blades had fought, and couldn't even go halfway through each and every unbelievable move.

It didn't matter. There were much more important things at hand. Ana scurried in the opposite direction where the crowd was headed. She already saw a glimpse of Tyson and Brooklyn's continuing battle, and would head there as soon as she had taken care of something else.

Boris Balkov groaned. It had not been a good day. Not at all. Why did this always happen to him? It wasn't fair, it just wasn't fai- "OW!"

Some twerp had stepped on his and. Clutching it in pain, he rolled over from where a swarm of children had ran over him, and stared in shock at his prosecutor. "You…you…" That girl. She had the nerve to run back to him, huh? Served her right. Just like her mother, that one. Boris coughed on the ground.

"Oh, sorry, Father, did I hurt you?" A glare. "Oh no! Now you're coughing! I am sooo sorry! Here, let me fix that for you." Ana stamped her foot right on his back. Since Boris was slowly edging himself up at that point, he ended up hacking even more as he went down again.

"Wow, I feel a lot of pent-up anger at this point." The sarcaism in her voice was turning vicious. "You do know that no one will ever trust you again." Another kick. "You'll be run out, with no where to go. How does that make you feel?" Ana did a few more kicks more good measure before backing off.

"But you know what, Father?" She reached and pulled out her Beyblade. "It's well deserved. You've hurt a lot of people." Boris' eyes travelled warily to the blade in Ana's hands. "Including me." She pulled. "And especially Mom." There was a whirl, and as she watched her handiwork, Ana had nothing else to say.

* * *

Several minutes later~

"You should stop now." A hand rested on her shoulder, and the Stubborn One spun around to look at Kai.

"And _you_ should be resting now." A smile lit up both their faces.

"Woah, is it just me, or are you smiling?" The Annoying One shrugged, pushing past her to look at the crouched figure on the ground a few steps away. It had been a good day, that was all. Seeing Boris fully humiliated just made it better.

"You might want to stop now," he repeated, tilting his head toward the circle of young Beybladers surrounding BEGA's past high commissioner. "Or the kids there are going to start turning their blades on him too."

It was true. There were quite a few little youngsters had gotten their weapons out and were starting to aim.

"Oh." Ana blinked. "Aw, fine." She extended her hand, and the blade spun neatly into it, causing some of the onlookers to whine.

"It's ok, kids, I saw Tyson and Brooklyn having a match over there," she pointed to her left. "It'll be more fun there." After a few mutters, the small crowd has dissipated too, leaving behind their victim, his disowned daughter, and one more weary blader.

Boris gasped a bit more, before standing up and wobbling towards the duo. "You…both of you…"

"Oh, give it up." Ana was reaching for her Beyblade again but got stopped.

"I heard a couple of police coming here. He's going to get fined and jailed for abusing regulations over adolescents, anyway. And those regarding Beyblading. No use torturing him more."

Ana nodded, and they both walked away, leaving the purple-haired rascal in the dust. "Hey! You can't just leave me here, especially you, Ana Balkov! And why are you sticking your nose into other people's business, huh, Hiwatari? Answer me…"

Still with their backs facing him, the Stubborn One raised her hand, the Annoying One took one of out his pockets, and simultaneously, they waved goodbye.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Hi, everyone. Last chapter…I was going to do a big "Yay!", but it's actually a bit saddening. Ah well, all things have to end, and this has actually taught me a lot. (That I need to work on my determination and touch up a bit on my writing skills.) I've entered the fanfiction world, taken a look around, written one myself, and I'm happy to say that it's all been great and that I'm looking forward to entering new lands. Thanks to all readers, and reviews are always welcome. Lastly: WOO-HOO! I'M DONEEE! YESSS! *beams*

Disclaimer: The original Beyblade manga and anime are the best. Nothing will ever compete with that, but a lot of fanfics., (Maybe even this one? Maybe.) come a close second/third/fourth etc. and are worthwhile in uncovering the characters' depths. The author does not own Beyblade. Nor does she really want to, heh.

Chapter Ten

It was a great day for a picnic. Everyone who had a part in defeating BEGA was there, and there were also quite a few individual matches occurring.

"Hey, where did Ana and Kai go?" Max asked Hilary. She shrugged, before getting splashed by a water bomb.

"AUGH! TYSOONNN! I'M GOING TO GET YOU FOR THAT!" The blader in question quickly ran in the opposite direction from the furious girl.

Max laughed and took a bite from a steaming hotdog, all thoughts of his earlier question blown to the wind.

* * *

In the forest behind them, two figures were perched on a tree branch. Two whirling Beyblades were sparring beneath them.

Kai leaned back on the trunk, arms crossed.

"You aren't staying?"

Ana thought about it before answering. "No. The thing is, there's so much in this world I want to do, before school starts again, anyway. And everything's fine here now, you won't even notice I'm gone."

She watched him close his eyes and nod slowly. "I see." The Annoying One could be so... impossibly annoying sometimes. In a cute way, but still.

"Why do you always act like that?" He didn't answer, so Ana punched him. Hard.

Still as arrogant as ever, the Annoying One just let his arms fall to his sides. Ana smiled. "Oh, cheer up." She scooted closer. "Things are great, and I'll see you at the next world championship or something, maybe before, seeing as how Hilary spends so much time with you guys too, and I am staying with her when I come back. _If_ I come back…"

Below them, the blades slowly twirled and died down, leaning against each other to stop at the same time. The Stubborn One leaned forward, "Ugh. Kai…we have the rest of our lives ahead of us, just remember that."

Then, finally, Kai's eyes flew open as Ana took the grass stem out of his mouth, flicked it to the ground, and kissed him.


End file.
